AN: Takes place in an AU directly following Voldemort's attack

Lily woke slowly. A familiar sterile scent filled her nostrils, and the hum of distant voices echoed in her ears. Pain, dull but ever present, radiated from various points across her body. She struggled to piece together how she had ended up here, in a bed that was too firm to be her own, beneath sheets that smelled of disinfectant rather than vanilla and sandalwood.

Her vision was blurry at first but gradually the world came into focus. The pale green walls, the harsh florescent light overhead, the array of magical devices that were monitoring her vitals. She was in a room at St. Mungo's.

She was suddenly flooded with horrifying images of the night that must have led to her stay. Voldemort. The blast of green light. Harry's terrified cries.

Panic surged through her, and she tried to sit up. When she barely moved, her hand instinctively reached for her unmoving legs. Something was wrong. They wouldn't move. Her heart pounded in her chest and her stomach clenched in fear.

Before she could fully process her horror, a soft groan from beside her made her freeze. She turned her head to the side and her breath caught at the sight of Marlene. She was slumped in an uncomfortable chair at her bedside. One of Marlene's arms was in a sling, the other hand has her wand tight in its grip, and her usually flawless blonde hair was tangled. Lily noticed the edge of bandages beneath her shirt. The sight of her wife, battered and worn, sent a jolt of fear through her.

"Marlene," Lily whispered, her voice horse. Barely more than a croak.

But it was loud enough to wake her wife. Marlene stirred, her eyes fluttered open. She looked around disoriented for a moment, her eyes unfocused, but then her gaze landed on Lily. A wave of relief washed over Marlene's features.

"Lily," she breathed as she straightened up with a wince. The movement clearly aggravated her injuries, but Marlene ignored the pain and reached out to take Lily's hand.

"Harry-Where's Harry?" Lily asked, "What happened?" the words tumbled out of her mouth, her panic rising.

"Nobody died, I promise," Marlene rushed to reassure her wife, "Harry is right there, snug as a bug."

Lily looked over to where Marlene pointed and saw their precious son, asleep in a crib in the far corner of the room, far away from the door.

"Why can't I-Why can't I move?" Lily gasped.

"Shh-shh. It's okay," Marlene murmured as she shifted closer to the bed. She placed a hand on Lily's shoulder and gently guided her back down against the pillows.

"It's temporary," she explained, her tone firm enough to break through Lily's panic, "The healers said it was from the curse. You're on a potion regiment that the healer believes will allow you to fully recover. It will take time, but you just have to rest, okay? Let the potions do their job."

Lily's eyes welled with tears. It was a mixture of relief and fear. She squeezed Marlene's hand tight in an attempt to draw any kind of strength she could from her wife. Marlene had always been the strong one, her fierce protector, the one who kept her together when it looked like everything was falling apart.

"You're hurt," Lily whispered, her voice cracked, "What did he do to you?"

Marlene shook her head. A small, tired smile tugged at her lips, "It's nothing. I've had worse playing Quidditch."

But the way she avoided Lily's gaze told her there was more to it than Marlene was willing to admit.

Lily opened her mouth to protest but something else caught her eye. There, on the bandages wrapped around her leg, were colourful stickers. Stars, little dragons, and a sparkly rainbow. It was such an odd sight that it broke Lily free from the fear and panic that she had been feeling.

"Harry put those there," Marlene explained, her voice soft, "he wanted you to have something cheerful to wake up to. Said it would make you feel better. He also made sure you had Moondog," she pointed toward the caramel-coloured teddy bear tucked up near Lily's pillow.

Lily's heart skipped a beat and the tears that she'd been holding back finally spilled over. She imagined Harry, their sweet, brave, little boy, carefully placing each sticker with such care.

Marlene leaned in and pressed a gently kiss to Lily's forehead, "We're going to be okay, Lily. You. Me. Harry. We're going to get through this. Voldemort's gone now. We're safe."

Lily nodded weakly. She was so tired. Her body radiated so much pain that she didn't know what to do. But with Marlene by her side, holding her. She knew that they would be okay.

"Do you need more pain reliever?" Marlene asked and started to rise from her chair to go get a Healer.

"Stay with me," Lily whispered, her eyes slowly slid closed, "Don't leave."

Marlene shifted in her chair and pressed a kiss to Lily's forehead, "I'm not going anywhere, love. I'm right here."

"I want to go home," Lily muttered on the verge of sleep.

"Soon," Marlene promised.

Lily finally relaxed. She focused on the warmth of Marlene's hand in hers and the familiar sounds of Harry's little snores. She basked in the knowledge that her family was safe and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

Word Count: 901